Beyond the Title is a series of Q&As with alumni of Madison365’s Most Influential lists. Join many of our Most Influential at the 365 Leadership Summit on November 3!
Araceli Esparza (Wisconsin’s Most Influential Latino Leaders, 2018) is a poet and teacher who explores art, writing, and healing. She was born and raised in Madison and her parents were migrant workers from Guanajuato, Mexico, from where she still gathers her strength. Araceli is very active in the domestic violence movement and has also volunteered her time teaching English as a Second Language and works to connect poetry to everyday people through presentations and readings. She is the founder and owner of Midwest Mujeres, an outreach and engagement company. Araceli was named Women to Watch for 2015 by Brava Magazine. She is a member of the City of Madison’s Equal Opportunities Commission and has served as Madison College’s entrepreneur-in-residence where she is helping first-generation college students access their entrepreneurial potential.
What does presence before performance mean to you – and how do you stay grounded when the pressure to perform is high?
Breath, and notice the shape of our breath, is it short in your throat, or full in your belly? What will what you say add to the situation and make it better? And remember we all make mistakes.
What’s the best advice you’ve received from a mentor?
Fake it until you make it, and once you make it, reach out and empower the next person, build up your circle.
Tell us about a time you had to to lead before there was consensus – when you were the only one who saw it, believed it or were willing to act. What gave you the courage to move anyway?
Doing the right thing is not easy when you’re the first person in line. Sometimes it’s enough to show up daily, other times it will be a public announcement, and at other times you need only tell a friend. It’s hard to discern which approach is needed for the situation. But once you do it, be careful of the consequences. Standing boldly can also affect our children and loved ones, but ask yourself, would they support you, knowing the situation? That’s how you know.
What’s one question every new leader should ask during their first 100 days and why?
Who is not in the room that I can talk to get a new perspective? Why is this important for my community and their children? Who isn’t getting paid for this work?
Who’s in your “corner” – that voice of wisdom you trust when things get tough? How do you build and protect that circle?
Mi Vato, my children, sisters, brother, and amigas. I built my circle testing and owning. Testing people with heavy stuff is hard; watching how they react will tell you how you want to be treated in a crisis. Also, owning that you might be a group type or a 1:1 type. That’s okay! Own the type you are and flow.
Leadership can be exhausting. What practices or boundaries help you avoid burnout and stay aligned with your purpose?
Walking barefoot, listening to my 90’s RnB or Punk or New Wave music, getting quiet and listening to the birds. Go into a forest and asking the trees for their perspective.
Clout fades. Calling lasts. How do you stay anchored in impact over recognition?
I stay anchored by reading: articles from around the world, listening to the news, listening to the women we serve through Midwest Mujeres, believing their stories. There is duality in the work we do, in spaces we are the devil in others we are the angel. Accepting that you will not make everyone happy. I get happy about other people’s recognition in the Latino community because I remember a time when we had to drive an hour to get tortillas at El Rey. To think we can now network, eat, play, and get mad at each other right here in our pueblo, is enduring. My calling is to normalize our intersectionality as Latinos/as/es to build spaces that when we leave, others can take over. AND not get mad over how they do it! I’m sure that the first generation of Latinos in Wisconsin never expected us to be so bold, over the top, fancy, and loud about who we are. Yet, here we are brown and proud, undoc and board room, policia and feminista, Cura y Gay, Padre y Madre, Abuela y Tios, Primos and environmental preservation.
What’s a leadership value you refuse to compromise even when its inconvenient?
My name. It’s not a regular Wisco name; I’ve spent most of my life spelling it out.
What book, quote, lyric or even scripture captures how you lead or how you live?
President Kennedy, “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country,” Araceli’s ending….Love or hate her, she is yours; Go and Vote!
When life gets heavy or leadership feels overwhelming, what’s something you turn to: music, travel or cultural connection that helps you feel like yourself again?
Best advice: Get out of Madison every six months. Like go far.
Who is your favorite sports team?
Cougars Sun Prairie Girl Ice Hockey team
What is your favorite holiday and why?
Halloween-Dia de los Muertos… Hanging out at cemeteries and telling good stories, what’s not to love? The rituals, and decorations are amazing!
